Colorado lost three members of its starting rotation in the span of two weeks in late July and August. Rodrigo Lopez, Aaron Cook and Jason Hirsh haven't pitched since. The ailments, on the surface, appeared too much to overcome for a team hovering above .500.

In reality, it was the best thing that happened, the final boost necessary for a magical three-week rocket launch. Think back to 2004, when the Rockies embarked on an announced youth movement over the final two months. They didn't even want to acknowledge it because they knew there would be a ferocious backlash.

That's because the defining requirement was patience, an expletive in today's sports world. Ironically, however, it wasn't until the Rockies reacted quickly with their own kids this summer that this team grew up before their eyes.

Talk to fans, those who have been on the purple bandwagon with air-bag equipped seats for years, and they will identify Todd Helton's walkoff home run on Sept. 18 as the season's defining moment. Talk to scouts and opposing executives, and they identify July 19, the day Ubaldo Jimenez made his season debut against the Washington Nationals.

Jimenez, remember, spent the first 10 weeks in Triple-A puzzling Rockies' executives with his lack of fastball command. They were perplexed, since some in the front office believed Jimenez had a better spring training than Hirsh. But special assistant Walt Weiss traveled to Colorado Springs to watch Jimenez, dispatched for gather a detailed report at a time when the Rockies were learning just how much of a seller's market existed.

Jimenez was terrific in front of Weiss. Against the Nationals, his line wasn't great, but his stuff was. He allowed just two runs in five innings. A scout at that game text-messaged me the following: Wow!

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He showed a 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock curveball, a tighter version - let's call it the daylight savings 11-6 hook - and a decent changeup.

He went 4-4 with a 4.28 ERA in 15 starts for the Rockies. Franklin Morales made his debut at 21 years old on Aug. 18 at Los Angeles. The left-hander didn't have a win at the minor-league all-star break. He was erratic in Double-A. A few years ago, he would have never been in line for a promotion, forced to iron out all wrinkles before seeing Coors Field. The Rockies missed Cook, but ultimately Morales and Jimenez performed above those they replaced.

But beyond the numbers, they changed the perception of this team. In a three-game series, an opponent could find itself facing the National League's winningest left-hander (Jeff Francis) and two kids throwing between 92 and 100 miles per hour.

Former Pittsburgh manager Jim Tracy called those two some of the best arms he has seen all season. Charlie Manuel said the same thing. Suddenly a team with a dangerous lineup and arguably the best eighth and ninth-inning bullpen had starters capable of making hitters uncomfortable from the first pitch.

"We have been patient in the past because we didn't have the volume of guys to go get," Hurdle said. "They brought value to help us win games. There's no way to re- create that experience, not in the Hawaiian League or the instructional league.

"There was enormous value of September, being in the race."

It was, however, a risk - one that the Rockies were reluctant to take until they realized how much retreads like Steve Trachsel, Josh Towers and Matt Morris were going to cost. Ultimately, Colorado didn't make a deal.

"We thought people were trying to take us to task in trades because we were hurt," Hurdle said. "So we decided to give our own guys the ball and roll from there."

Letting the kids play, or more specifically pitch, is why the Rockies are playing in October.

Rockies are on pace to lose 93 games this seasonThe Rockies lost three of four in St. Louis and are on pace to lose 93 games as they come home for a three-game series with Seattle before going back on the road again to face Washington.